Singapore Zoo and Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo Win TripAdvisor Awards

TripAdvisor has announced the winners of its Travellers' Choice awards for Zoos and Aquariums around the globe.

In total, 275 winners were identified, including the top 25 in the world and dedicated lists for Asia, Canada, Europe, India, South America, South Pacific, the U.K. and the U.S..

“For those wanting to see the world’s most wondrous creatures, TripAdvisor has named the Travellers’ Choice Zoos and Aquariums, as chosen by the community of millions,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “Travellers can enjoy a fun and educational experience at any of these popular award-winning attractions around the globe.”

The Singapore Zoological Gardens was ranked as not only the first in Asia, but also the fifth zoo in the world. Resorts World Sentosa’s S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore also made it to the list of winning aquariums, placing seventh in Asia.

Mr Lee Meng Tat, CEO of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, “We are pleased to be recognised as one of the best zoos in the world by TripAdvisor travellers. We hope that with this accolade, we are able to reach out to a greater audience in our mission to educate the public to better appreciate, protect and together secure the future for our most valued assets – wildlife.”

Travellers’ Choice awards honour top travel spots worldwide based on the millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for zoos and aquariums worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi and Safari Park Open Zoo in Kanchanaburi ranked within the top 25 zoos in Asia, coming in 2nd and 17th respectively. Siam Ocean World in Bangkok also made it to the Asia Aquariums list, coming in at 3rd place.

Mr. Suriya Saengpong, Director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, said “We are delighted to be recognised as one of the top zoos in Asia this year. What makes Khao Kheow Open Zoo different from others is that we continuously develop the zoo as a centre for education, wildlife conservation research and captive breeding for endangered animals, as well as a place where visitors can get up-close-and-personal with the animals.”

Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun has the most number of winning zoos and aquariums in the region – ten of its zoos and seventeen of its aquariums are featured in the top 25 Asia lists. Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in Osaka was rated the top aquarium in Asia while Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido came in 7th in Asia.